


109 Days

by blackPlague



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Implied Relationships, Multi, Recreational Drug Use, Underage Drinking, a lot of sadness, dumb kid shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-26
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2017-11-22 12:06:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 66
Words: 19,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/609647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackPlague/pseuds/blackPlague
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Terezi tricked John into going on a suicide mission, it created a splintered, doomed timeline. Two players dead. No chance of winning. Stuck in a dead end session. </p><p>This is the story of Davesprite's timeline.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1

\-- turntechGodhead  [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist  [TT]\--  
TG: have you heard from john  
TT: No, I haven't. Neither have I heard a peep from Jade in about three hours now.  
TG: well thats it theyre dead  
TT: I hardly believe that being MIA for three hours calls for playing the funeral dirge just yet.  
TG: all i know is that jade had a meteor the size of texas heading for her homeland of monkeyfuck island  
TG: or was it the size jupiter  
TG: whatever a huge ass meteor  
TG: and she probably had really little time  
TG: and john being the moron he is probably lost the fight with his denizen  
TG: so yeah  
TG: ...  
TG: youre not saying anything  
TG: why arent you saying anything oh god did you die too  
TG: rose yo  
TG: send me a smoke signal here or something  
TG: morse code maybe  
TG: dot dot dash dot dash dot  
TG: oh wait  
TG: ..-.-.  
TG: there better  
TG: rose seriously stop fucking around  
TT: I apologize. I had to go take a nap.  
TT: From what I can see, which is not much-- Skaia is clouded over.  
TT: Hmmm.  
TG: oh well as long as youre going around snoozing in corners and dream stargazing its all good  
TT: Were you worried, David?  
TG: well yeah a little i mean  
TG: theres a good possibility that john and jade are dead  
TG: and honestly being here was going to get pretty fucking boring  
TG: also the only thing i have to keep me company is my shitfuck of a sprite  
TG: goddamn it why did i prototype cal  
TG: sos send help before i commit seppuku  
TG: oh wait  
TG: ...---...  
TT: Yes, god forbid you commit a Japanese style suicide. Your bro would be so proud.  
TT: Where is he anyway?  
TG: fuck man i dont know  
TG: i don't keep tabs on him  
TG: let him just be free as a weaboo strider can be  
TG: sugoi  
TG: oh god i take that back  
TT: Yes, anyway back to the point.  
TG: was there ever a point  
TT: Yes. Concerning our potentially dead friends, perhaps?  
TG: oh yeah  
TT: I am now scrolling around the view I have of John’s house and he is nowhere to be found.  
TT: I have messaged Jade many a time but she doesn’t respond.  
TT: The same goes for John.  
TT: I think you might have been right.  
TG: fuck seriously  
TG: i  
TG: fuck  
TT: But then again, he might just be walking around his planet.  
TT: I can’t see him when he does that so that could be it.  
TG: are you worried  
TT: Yes, a bit.  
TT: But speaking about being worried am I to believe that THE Dave Strider was worried about little old me?  
TG: fuck off  
TT: Hmm.  
TG: oh god youre psychoanalyzing the fuck out of this arent you  
TT: Maybe a bit.  
TG: god damn it

\- - - -  
You don’t sleep that night.


	2. Day 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates for this will not be regular okay i am so so sorry

Waiting for a sign of life from John or Jade is hell, to say the least.

And to make matters worse, you really can’t do much on your planet.

You're assuming Jade did not make it, seeing as she doesn't answer yours or Rose's pleas and she never interacted with your interface ever again, past putting a dead crow into your sprite. She never built up your apartment in order to help you reach your first gate either, so until you figure out a way to fly a hundred feet into the air without falling face first into lava soon after, you are stuck here for a while.

You don’t really mind your planet though. Despite its boringness factor, it's kinda growing on you.

It’s always night but it is never dark. It always rains but there are never any clouds. It’s always too hot but there’s no sun. No moon either.

The only company you have, though, is Calsprite and you regretted prototyping him about .5 milliseconds after you threw the goddamned puppet in.

There’s always silence but it’s never quiet. The roar of the gears around you and the constant streams of lava cascading from the platforms of clockwork make much more noise than you expected.

You send Calsprite away every time he even gets close to you. Just no, you do not need this shit right now or, well, _ever._

The only person you really have now is Rose and god damn it if she doesn’t get annoying after a day or two.

Even the trolls stopped harassing you. Honestly, you’re kind of pathetic if you’re even _worried_ about the troll’s absence. You’d actually welcome a troll right about now. You kind of need the entertainment since it looks like you’re going to be stuck here for a very, _very_ long time. 


	3. Day 5

You and Rose have declared John and Jade officially MIA. You’re more inclined to say RIP but you think Rose would get upset about that.

“What now?” You message Rose.

She replies with a simple, “I don’t know.”

There isn’t much to say after that.


	4. Day 6

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 00:12--  
TG: so yeah  
TG: basically just talking to myself here  
TG: no prob i do that way too much already  
TG: so i guess i was right  
TG: youre dead  
TG: welp  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 00:43 --


	5. Day 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> w ow

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 08:31--  
TG: dear diary  
TG: today was shitty  
TG: love dave  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] at 08:33--


	6. Day 10

For some reason, you know exactly how much time has passed since you entered. It has been ten days, four hours, 43 minutes, and 38 seconds. 39. 40.

You can actually hear the ticking of the hands inside your head. The wordless beat that you find yourself humming softly at times. 

You mix a few songs to it, and you slay a few imps to it, too. 

You have no idea what you’re actually supposed to be doing. You asked Rose and all she said was “Shrug. Do whatever, I guess.” 

Meanwhile, she went off to, quote “Dismantle the game by its stitches and find its still beating heart.” 

You'd be crazy to stop her. 

So you mix beats, you eat, sleep, jerk off, beat a few imps, avoid Calsprite like the plague, and explore your land.


	7. Day 11

You alchemize yourself some suits because, goddamn it, you are one smooth motherfucker and you deserve it.


	8. Day 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sighs deeply into the abyss and whispers "does anyone even still read this"

TG: remember that one time you confessed to me that you hated the jesters in your house with your entire being  
TG: and i being the asshole i am sent you a birthday card with a clown on it  
TG: and subscribed you to the cirque du soleil newsletter and the jester of the month club  
TG: with an honorary membership to the jesters club of america  
TG: man you were way too pissed off at me for that  
TG: thought itd have been something youd get a laugh out of  
TG: yknow with you being pranking king and all  
TG: just  
TG: thought itd be something youd have been proud of  



	9. Day 12.5

TG: no but what if  
TG: you gave birth to a baby underwater  
TG: i mean theyve been gulping fluids for the past nine months  
TG: and if you just give birth to them underwater  
TG: would they be like  
TG: mermaids  
TG: but without the tail  
TT: Hello to you too.  
TG: hi  
TG: do you have a rebuttal for me  
TT: No, astoundingly enough.  
TT: The logic is sound. Giving birth to a mermaid baby is one hundred percent plausible.  
TG: i feel like youre mocking me  
TT: It’s up to you.  
TT: Am I mocking you?  
TT: Am I really?  
TG: just so you know, water has oxygen too, thats what we breathe smartass  
TG: i am like a little asian kid doing math  
TG: the smartest bitch in the world  
TT: Actually, the biggest component in the air we breathe is nitrogen. Oxygen composes only 20% of air.

turntechGodhead [TG] blocked tentacleTherapist [TT] 

TT: Wow, touchy.


	10. Day 13

You are lying on your bed in a half awake stupor, when you find yourself listening to ‘How Do I Live’ on repeat.

You don’t switch it off.


	11. Day 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> spoiler alert this story is just one big feelings pile its not an actual story just feelings

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] --  
TG: i  
TG: fuck  
TG: i miss your green text and i miss your overusing exclamation marks  
TG: i miss the emoticons and the mixes we made  
TG: how excited youd get if i sent you a new song  
TG: and how hard you worked on remixing it and basically improving it  
TG: shit  
TG: thought this would make me feel better  
TG: i cant do this shit im sorry  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] --


	12. Day 15

You make up your mind to begin the hunt for Bro’s weed.

He let you smoke with him once and you didn’t really like it but now you couldn’t really care less.

You’re thirteen and stuck in a parallel universe in an alternate, doomed timeline where your only supervision is a glowing sprite made of a dead bird and chopped up puppet parts.

What the fuck _could_ you care about?


	13. Day 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> s/o to gaby (mellifluouspalimsest on tumblr) for helping me out with writing rose dagn who knew she was so tough to write

\-- tentacleTherapist[TT] began pestering turntechGodhead[TG] --  
TT: What do you think happens when we die?  
TG: whoa there  
TG: dont you think youre diving into the existentialism a bit too early this morning  
TT: Color me surprised.  
TT: I wasn't aware you knew what existentialism is.  
TG: yeah too bad that the word is all i know  
TG: i googled it once  
TG: read like two sentences on it  
TG: learned one new thing that day  
TG: then went the fuck back to sleep  
TT: Well, granted, you used it out of context. But.  
TT: You're avoiding the question.  
TT: Do you believe in Heaven and Hell? Purgatory? Do we become precious little unicorns in alternate universes?  
TG: man i dont know  
TG: you could just as well become a fucking stars fart for all i care  
TG: all i know is youre gone  
TG: not here anymore  
TG: and you probably dont even realize it  
TG: we're all just poor bastards in the eye of an uncaring deity that is as fickle as it is mysterious  
TT: Excuse me, I think I have pestered the wrong person.  
TT: Am I chatting with Dave Strider?  
TT: This can't be Dave. I do believe I am talking to a first year philosophy major.  
TT: Who uses analogies like "A star's fart."  
TT: Wrong pestering, sry.  
TG: fuck off i can be deep when i want to  
TT: It should be more often.  
TT: I quite like this side of you.  
TG: enjoy it while it lasts  
TG: this kind of deep thinking drains my batteries  
TG: shit i wasnt made for this kind of insight  
TG: vision... going... da..r...k  
TT: David, please.  
TT: Dave.  
TT: I will steal your turntables.  
TG: look im alive  
TT: A true miracle indeed.  
TG: im fucking jesus up in this bitch  
TG: touching blind people making them see the fucking rainbow  
TT: Amazing.  
TG: but really  
TG: why were you asking in the first place  
TT: Well.  
TT: The death of two close friends kind of makes you wonder about life and death.  
TG: well i reiterate  
TG: i have no idea what happens when you die  
TG: but like probably everyone that ever existed  
TG: i hope its nice over there  
TT: Maybe we should.  
TT: Do you think we should we hold a funeral for them?  
TG: i  
TG: i think we should  
TG: it'll have to be in your land since mine is basically just lava  
TG: but  
TG: what will we bury  
TG: we just empty out half a 40 in honor of our fallen  
TG: "rest in peace you were true niggas"  
TT: While half a 40 and a suspiciously gang related goodbye seems appropriate,  
TT: How about we make symbolical representations of our friends and bury that?  
TG: what are you going to do  
TG: knit something probably  
TT: I'm going to knit something.  
TT: Oh.  
TT: Alright then, Copperfield.  
TT: What are you going to make?  
TG: i dont know man  
TG: i'll inform you though  
TT: Alright. I will see you…  
TT: Is five days from now okay?  
TG: yeah okay  
TG: how do you even tell though  
TT: Computer clock.  
TG: oh  
TG: i guess thats obvious  
TG: well then  
TG: see you in five days  
TT: See you.  
TT: Wear something nice, please.  
\-- tentacleTherapist[TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead[TG] --  



	14. Day 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i wrote the first half of this ten minutes ago and the other half about a year ago  
> sry in advance

You spend three hours trying to figure out what you want to bury, sleep four hours, wake up, and spend two more hours pacing around your room brainstorming-but-not.

You sigh exasperatedly halfway through your fourth hour and resign yourself to the hunt for Bro's weed.

The door to his room creaks when you push it open. You get on your knees and dig through three puppet/smuppet piles before you smell the distinct odor of pot.

You remember that smell coming off your brother’s shirt every now and then. And you remember how he smiled slightly at you, half blissful, half clueless.

One time, he hugged you and kissed your head. You didn’t react; didn’t know _how_ to react until it was too late and he was already walking away.

That was the first time he’d ever shown that much tenderness towards you, and you swear you shed at least one tear.

You pull out the plastic bag from under a dildo shaped nose and hold it up.

Bro was wise to hide it under a smuppet pile, which he knew you would steer clear of at all costs.

But as it turns out, even you can’t be scared away for long.

You sit on the futon and open the bag. When you light your first blunt, the thrill of rebellion that shoots down your spine is dulled by the heady feeling that settles over you soon after as you inhale the thick smoke. Your first hit induces a coughing fit but it soon passes as you brace yourself and do it again, this time holding the smoke in your lungs and counting to five. When you exhale, your body goes slack against the sofa. You feel heavy and tingly; your thoughts are moving at a snail’s pace and you can’t really concentrate on anything.

Your second hit induces a fit of giggles. You can’t really contain yourself. Has the coffee table always been this small? You laugh harder. When you turn on the TV and all you see is static snow, you giggle longer and heartier. Everything is so funny, funny, funny, and you’re so happy, happy, happy.

The third hit is when the pot really hits you. You take a longer puff this time and hold it in for more time. You feel so happy, like you could fly, like you could soar out of your window and down over to Skaia, around the veil and back. You feel sluggish still but you’re so _happy._

Then you take your fourth hit and you hold it in until you _have_ to breathe and when you exhale, you feel heavy again. Happy, yes, but heavy. The snow on the television is still funny but you feel like you need to lie down to enjoy it better, so you do. The blunt is still in your hands and you decide to set it down on the coffee table—but you miss and it falls into a plastic cup of what appeared to be water, once. It sizzles when it makes contact and the small embers die, and it’s just so funny and you’re so heavy and _sleepy._ You giggle at nothing.

You fall asleep and your dream is vividly colorful and intense. There is a puppy the middle of the highway and you try to run to it, to save it, but you can’t make it past the brightly colored and weirdly shaped cars. And the puppy is whimpering, whimpering, and you try to run to it but you can’t, and you feel more and more despair as you stand there and simply _watch_ unable to do anything about it.

And the puppy whimpers again and again, and it sounds likewords every time that you hear it. It looks so sad and scared, its black hair matted and its eyes wide as saucers. And it whimpers again, but this time you hear your name. Its whimpers turn into whispered and whined cries of _Dave, Dave, Dave._

You try again to get to the puppy. The cars zoom by you, and you almost get hit but you are able to make it an arm’s length from the puppy when it starts changing, growing bigger and bigger, sprouting wings and scales. It smiles down at you with a million razor teeth and you wake up just as it swallows you whole.

You swear off pot for the rest of your days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wah


	15. Day 19

You stay in bed for twelve hours. 

Rose messages you twice.

You throw your phone across the room.

She stops pestering you.

You try to sleep again but fail miserably. 

You don't stop trying though.


	16. Day 20

A beat appears in your head and gets stuck there for an entire day.

You groan resignedly and drag yourself out of bed and onto your computer.

Rose’s messages are blinking incessantly and you click them quickly to shut them off.

You work the entire day, perfecting and tweaking and mixing the beat that blooms continuously in your head. When you’re done, you smile for the first time in more than two weeks.

You save the file, burn the DVD, and label it in bright green permanent marker:

_Jade’s Mix_


	17. Day 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dave is a dumb

john:  


im writing you a letter because it wasnt in my budget for a con-air remake. 

so hey. told you i'd have to get you off the hook someday now that went and got yourself trolled to death. and by extension jade. but dont worry dude i got your back i'll get you out of this mess and make you un-deaden yourself. it’ll be fine. 

but in the meantime i hope you and jade are having all kinds of sicknasty fun in the afterlife. say hi for me. me and rose have a plan to get you guys back to the land of the living. 

and fucking goddamn calsprite makes me kinda want to join you guys though. 

i miss you dawg 

\-- dave (tg)


	18. Day 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dersecest anyone?

She’s dug a hole in the sand, right on the edge of the water, and there are rainbows leaking from the clouds.

She’s wearing a black dress that looks too big on her slim frame. Her eyes are deep set and rimmed with black and her lips are a deep burgundy.

She didn’t hug you when you first saw her, only acknowledged your presence with a nod and a soft mention of your name that rolled like honey off her painted lips and dark smirk.

You nodded back and stood on a white sand beach, your glasses fogging up with humidity.

Now she takes out a violin from her captchalogue carefully and begins playing a sad tune that you do not recognize while you kneel in the sand and deposit the CD and the letter into the hole. She stops playing to takes out two scarves, as long as you are tall, maybe more. One is green with silver-gray and white accents and one is blue with gold and copper designs. You can’t really make them out but that’s okay because she keeps playing as you begin to fill the hole with sand. Her sprite comes along and helps you at some point and remarks that “It’s just like kitty litter!”

You really hope he doesn’t shit on your best friends’ symbolic grave.

She invites you inside and gives you wine. You take it, too numb to care. You just buried your friends.

You end up in her room with her squirming on your lap and kissing you clumsily. Her hands on your neck move like she’s playing the sad song on the beach again.

The fog in your head doesn’t clear until morning and that’s when you realize you just gave her your first kiss.

You wake up to a light on your face, accentuating the burgundy stains on your neck, and a wrinkled, stained suit.

You leave before she wakes up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops it was kinda sad


	19. Day 23

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT ] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG ] --

TT: Thank you for your company yesterday.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT ] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG ] --


	20. Day 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im on summer break and summer means more updates (hopefully) (no promises though) (but from here on out i have most of it written SO) (i guess we will see)

 

You meet Hephaestus by pure chance.

You are pacing in your room, trying so hard not to think about anything, when you decide to go out for a walk. Climbing down to the platforms made of clockwork is tasking enough but you decide to slay a few imps on your way down too, for a challenge.

When you are at the bottom, you start walking at random.

You’re sweating by the time you find a glowing portal, half hidden behind a lava cascade. You hesitantly make your way over. A deep breath and a quick step later and you are in your denizen’s lair.

It scares the shit out of you, having a hundred foot tall giant bellowing about a Forge and how much of a disappointment this entire session is.  He notices you, though, and stops midway through his rant.

His skin is black as night but flames are engulfing his body so he’s difficult to look at.  He looks at you as if pondering whether to eat you or not.

You throw your hands up as a sign of peace.

“Look, man,” you begin. “I don’t want any problems. I just want to know what I’m supposed to do.”

He looks at you with disdain and you gulp audibly.

“For starters,” he says. “Get out of my house.”

You sigh. This is not how you were planning this on going at all.

You try again.

“Look—“

“I said GET OUT!”

And he advances on you. You almost pee your pants but at the last second you appear back in your room, trembling slightly.

This is not going to be easy, you decide. 


	21. Day 26

You visit Hephaestus again. You put on your best suit for it and take a long slow breath.

He sees you and audibly growls.

“I told you to GET OUT!” He roars the words and it hurts your ears.

You casually tuck your hands into your pockets and shrug. “Sorry, dude. Guess you’re just gonna have to put up with me.”

He raises a monolithic fist and you flinch. He chuckles.

“You are out of your league, boy. Away with you.”

And just like that you are back in your room.

Son of a fuck.


	22. Day 30

The fifth day you visit Hephaestus, he actually looks weary.

After about ten minutes of you standing your ground and him whining all the live long day, he finally stops being a whiny bitch and he tells you where to find your timetables.

You nod coolly and walk off, throwing a “Thanks,” over your shoulder.

You go through about fifty different levels of imps in the only castle like structure on your whole planet. You pass a few red bipedal crocodile-like creatures and all they do is say “Nak,” incredibly loud.

Once you finally obtain the timetables, hoo-fucking-rah, you aren’t sure what to do with them. All this time stuff is a bit confusing, to be honest. But hey, you’re in no hurry. Not like you’re going anywhere anytime soon, right?

Well. The plan you and Rose have been mulling over of you going back in time and asking John not to be a complete idiot and making you exist, in a way. But Rose says no, not yet, that’s a big no-no, and that you two should gather information about the game and  _then_  go back and save boy-derp-wonder.

She starts planning further and sounds a bit scared when she discusses how you will go back in time eventually without her. Neither of you linger on the consequences of your plan, such as, what will happen to her once you go back. You don’t want to think about another dead friend. Or nonexistent in this case. Whichever.


	23. Day 32

She asks you to come over under the pretense of planning your soon-to-happen trip back in time.   
  
When you appear, she smiles softly at you.   
  
You find yourself in her room again, laying on her warm bed while her hand trails down your arm. She stopped speaking a while ago and you stopped trying to break the silence shortly after that.   
  
You don't say anything as you curl her into you and you both fall asleep, soft and warm.   
  
You wake up sweating, half a scream dying on your lips. The nightmare was dark and full of whispers and screams and pain.   
  
She shushes you and tries to get you to lay down but you shake your head vehemently. You need to leave this bright planet and the girl with the lavender eyes and magnetic smile.   
  
Grabbing your shoes as you go, you keep quiet and make no promises of returning. You avoid her silent stare and hurry out.   
  
It isn't until you're on the beach, sand in your toes, that you realize you left your sunglasses on her nightstand.   
  
You look behind you, contemplating your options, but then she is there; her flowing dress billowing out behind her and for a second, you think you've died and that she is the vision that will lead you into the afterlife.   
  
Then she perches the glasses on your head, kisses your forehead with bare lips and disappears back into the house.   
  
Your bed feels cold when you lay in it and you feel her lips upon your forehead. You have to physically stop yourself from going back to her.   
  
Your sleeps are fitful and short. 


	24. Day 33

The first time you time travel, you throw up.

The moment your feet touch the ground, your head is spinning and the future isn’t looking so hot.

You run over to the edge of your building’s roof and throw yourself down onto your knees as you heave what little food you had in your stomach over the edge and down to the lava sea that churns beneath you.

It’s only a few seconds forward but you feel like you’ve aged a decade.

You sleep for a day straight, after that.


	25. Day 36

You find and break Caledfwlch. Whoops.

Hephaestus gives you shit about it and starts roaring about the Forge never arriving, how he hates this session and you. Again. Says he’ll never be able to fix it. Boo hoo, you think. Thing was a piece of shit anyway.

You still combine it with your timetables, though.


	26. Day 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i had this written a year ago im sorry this wasnt up sooner but HA if you think this was a long wait, the next like five chapters arent even written yet whoops (bows down at ur feet) forgive me

You’re practicing sword fighting on your roof again, Calsprite off somewhere being a pain in the ass to an imp, you hope. You are sweating profusely, your shirt and shoes long since discarded, as you swing your newly acquired Caledscratch around, getting a feel for it. It has a nice weight and is perfectly balanced when unbroken. It gets a bit trickier when it changes itself to broken in a split second without notice, but you make do.

You’re stabbing air with it in its full form but after a few more swings, it turns back into its broken self, throwing you off balance and sending you sprawling on the ground. You catch yourself before you kiss the cement, though, holding yourself up on your hands and knees.

Panting and exhausted, you try to regain your feet but find that you are too tired to achieve your goal. So you stay there, on your hands and knees, panting heavily.

It is then that the first sobs rack you. They’re painful and choke you, cutting off your airway. You cross your forearms and bring your head down to rest on them, letting the rest of your body go limp, folding your legs underneath you. The retched dry sobs you heave leave your body shaking like a kitten left out in the rain.

After a few more dry sobs, the tears start. When a few of them drop onto the inside of your sunglasses, you roar and tear them off furiously, captchaloging them before your rage causes them to go flying over the edge and into the molten sea below.

You pound the cement with your fist and give a roar of determination. Grabbing the broken Caledscratch and heaving yourself onto your feet proves to be a bit of a challenge but you do it. Once you’re standing, you swing the sword around furiously, practicing until your bare feet are raw, your muscles ache and the tears restrict your vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyway hey i have this thing where i have about about 40 more days to fill how bout you leave me suggestion i am always open to them (kisses you all on your foreheads)


	27. Day 39

You invite her over to your house but you don’t say how long she’s staying and she doesn’t mention it.

The first thing she does when she gets through the portal is scrunch her nose at the heat. You realize you like her.

You both get to your apartment drenched in sweat. She lets out a deep breath and asks for your bathroom. You point her in the right direction; she walks gracefully into it. Everything she does is so goddamned graceful.

You smooth out your hair, check your breath, trip over a smuppet, catch yourself, walk into your room. It’s messier than you thought.

She comes in quietly, barefoot, in short pants and a tank top. She raises an eyebrow as she eyes the room.

“I’m going to have to help you clean up in here.” She says, matter-of-fact tone.

You nod dumbly.

She gets into your bed, pulls the covers over herself, leaves a space for you.

You oblige silently and tuck yourself behind her.


	28. Day 40

You both wake up two hours later, sweating and uncomfortable.

She gets out of bed and helps you clean up. Your room is spotless and smuppet free in less than three hours.

You pull the fan to the foot of your bed and plug it in. You both sleep over the covers, almost fitting together but not quite.

She snores a bit, and in that moment you realize you could love her, if you tried hard enough.

You fall asleep in record time. 


	29. Day 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha just churning these out like its nobodys business
> 
> it's almost 3am gomen

The both of you have spent the last four days cleaning the apartment.

You welcome the task as a distraction from the thoughts that would normally consume your brain.

With every rest that passes, you both begin to feel even more comfortable around each other and now you sleep in boxers, she sleeps in one of your shirts. Sometimes, she lets you hold her and sometimes, you let her hold you.  

You kiss sometimes but never farther than that. You’re accustomed to the routine, the menial tasks, the mundane.

She seems content as well, when she watches the lava cascades below her from the edge of your roof while you strife by yourself.

You feel not so lonely anymore. But the feeling of loss still tugs at your insides.

You try not to think of the future, but it’s hard not to. Your breathing gets short when you think about the rest of your life here, in this setting, with this girl. It frightens you.

You know you should be happy, but you still miss them. She does too, if the way she mumbles their names in her sleep means anything.

Neither of you mention her leaving.


	30. Day 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these are getting harder to write tbh. i had some that were ready to post but goddamn this story just. grew. 
> 
> it now has a life of its own don't blame me blame the words

She comes to you one day while you are lying on your bed, earphones in. She has been here for a week and you mostly just keep to yourselves by now.

But she comes into your room like blazing starlight, and it almost hurts to look at her.

She sits on your lap and you surge up to ask her what’s wrong but she is kissing you hard and it’s almost too much but not quite enough. She kisses with a ferocity that leaves you breathless. You feel tears on your cheeks and you aren’t entirely sure they are all hers.

She keeps kissing you and kissing you and it feels like time has no meaning in this little bubble she has created for the both of you. You lose your shirt as some point and she loses her skirt.

You ask, “Is this okay?” And she nods fervently, whispers out a cracked yes.

Your hands are shaky on her warm skin and you can feel her tremble. You are scared out of your wits. You know she is too.

When she is asleep next to you, you crawl out of bed, careful not to wake her.

You make your way to the living room, and spot something on the coffee table. You kneel down next to it and flip through the photo album that is quite obviously Rose’s, if penmanship is anything to go by.

There are pictures of her and her mother when she was little. Her mother dwindles in appearances as the years pass. Then she stops appearing altogether. It transforms into a letter album, where there are letters from John, Jade, and even from you. A small paper doll Jade made of Rose. A dried rose John sent her. A signed print of a comic you made, sent ironically in case you ever got famous. Memento after memento, and suddenly you choke back tears.

You make your way back to your bed and scoop her into your arms, breathing her in.

You realize you love her, but you could never, no matter how hard you tried, be in love with her. You feel pity deep in your heart for this girl, the one you cannot give yourself wholly to.

You hope you never have to try. You hope madly it never comes to that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope this made sense


	31. Day 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i struggled on whether or not to post this bc sads but then who cares (not me) (haha sad characters)

When you wake up in the morning, she is gone. Everything around the house that was hers has been picked up.  Her toothbrush, once snuggled next to yours, is now missing. The photo album you saw earlier, now absent. Even some of the drinks she brought, gone from your cabinets. The apartment feels empty without her. You miss her already, although you'd never admit it to her.

Her towel is still wet from when she used it this morning. Probably trying to wash you off, you tell yourself. You feel a bit sick.

Her scent lingers on your pillow when you try to sleep. You end up throwing it on the floor and sleeping without it. You wake up with a neck ache and a distinct hollow feeling in your chest. You didn't sleep much.

You get on your computer. She hasn't messaged you.

You turn it back off and go upstairs for another duel with your demons.

You scrape your knees on the roof and they stain your bed when you get back in it, all sweat and aching muscles. You like to think you sleep easier. 


	32. Day 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the word document for this fic has reached 50 pages holy shit

You travel in time again.

This time, you are prepared for what may come, so you move backwards three hours, to when you were sleeping.

The landing churns your stomach a bit but you soon recover your ground and stand stock still in an unchanged landscape.

It is really very boring, to be honest.

There is no one here, except you—so there is no one to bother without messing up the timeline even more. You sigh deeply and go forwards again. This time you do throw up.

You thought all this time stuff was going to be a bit more exciting, to be honest; more of a time–savvy James Bond, minus the chicks and the guns, plus a whole lot more shitty villains.

You really don’t know what you expect at all anymore. This lifestyle just is not cutting it lately, and you feel lonely and bored. And. You miss her. You’ve caught yourself on the verge of telling her just how much, when it’s late in the day and you find yourself three drinks in and stumbling over your words already.

You always stop yourself, throw up a little and go to bed; wake up with a headache.

Today is no different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got like two more written after this but im too tired to read them over now they'll be corrected and up tomorrow xxoo


	33. Day 62

She hasn’t spoken to you in two weeks, and you swear, you’re going mad. You talk to yourself even more than usual. You call Calsprite around and you _actually enjoy_ his company.

You can’t seem to stop yourself when you throw yourself recklessly towards an imp or a basilisk. They bite you, you bleed. You shrug, they die.

You stitch yourself up. You _feel something_. You continue on like a good little soldier. It feels good to feel something, even if it is basilisk venom jabbing its way up your veins.

You kill. You survive.

You don’t drink anymore. It dulls your senses, and now the imps come every other night.

You’ll have to have a word with management.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no idea where i'm going with this


	34. Day 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i lied i know exactly what i'm doing

Hephaestus roars and grimaces at you. You really do not have time for his whining or his bullshit, so you just get down to business.

“Why are you up my ass with so many imps?”

He almost grins. “Haven’t you heard? You aren’t supposed to be here. You’re supposed to explore everywhere on this planet. If you stay in one place too long then—“ He slams his fist into the platform, bending it. You wince and hope he doesn’t notice. He does.

“Oops. Maybe the imps will sense an easy meal. They’ll grow attracted to you, boy. Try running.”

You’re too tired to even be here. A headache flares up.

“Just gimme a break, will ya? One more day and I’ll explore this whole shitty place, alright?”

He chuckles darkly. “You better. They’re getting hungry. You might just have to… hide.”

Your headache worsens when you leave. You spend the whole next day laying on your bed and considering your options.

Hephaestus is a prick and you _know_ he is toying with you, but he does have the power to completely annihilate you, so it’s probably best to listen to him.

So you do.


	35. Day 64

You pack a few bags and captchalogue them.

This will not be easy, you already know. But it’s better than being bombarded by imps all the livelong day.

It is really goddamned hot on the surface of your planet. You strip down to your undershirt and black pants, but you are still sweating bullets.

There are no imps or basilisks in sight. So far so good.

You spend the day trekking across your planet, scaling platforms, jumping over lava rivers. There is a certain blinding beauty to the heat of it all.

After a day of sweating and panting, you decide to make a home base for the, er, night. You scale a particularly tall platform, towering over many others. It will be enough for tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not in the hs fandom that much anymroe but i am a trooper and i will see this fic to the very end trust me on this. i am v excited for y'all to see the later, prewritten chapters rather than this three second filler shit. bear w/ me guys. it's gonna get intense soon.


	36. Day 65

You wake up to Calsprite’s maniacal laughter.

You throw every curse word you know in his direction and send him away once again. He goes after ten minutes of you screaming at him.

Sighing, you take a bag out of your captchalogue and drink two whole bottles of water. At this rate, you’ll have to go back to your apartment and get more. You really dread that thought.

Thirst and hunger stated, you continue on.

* * *

You make it all the way to the castle-like structure where you found your timetables at. The crocodile creatures annoy the hell out of you. They are so loud. Why are they so loud. Why are you here.

As you make your way into the castle, the creatures start thinning out and their “Nak”s get all the more distant.

It isn’t until the path starts to spiral downwards until you realize that you are headed straight for Hephaestus’ lair. You suppress a shiver. You really do not want to see that asshole today or, well, _ever._

You turn on your heel and walk back to whence you came.

You make a mental note to avoid the castle at all costs.


	37. Day 67

Three days out, you realize you are very, very far from home.

It’s kind of frightening, to be honest. You have no map of your land so you might be lost forever in a barren land of metal and molten rock. Your supplies are running low and you have no idea if it’s even safe to consider going back already.

You gulp and grip your sword tighter. The imps and basilisks have caught onto your scent once again. They appear sporadically and you take care of them as soon as you spot them.

You begin counting how long it takes for them to appear again. They come at five minute intervals, then at three, then at one. Like its calculated.

You curse under your breath. You know _exactly_ whose fault this is.

Gritting your teeth, you brace yourself for another wave.

But it’s not just a few this time, oh no, it’s an entire fucking platoon of imps and basilisks and ogres.

You are probably going to die here. Your breath goes shallow and your arms limps as you are surrounded by the monsters.

You can feel their breath on you, but then—

Someone taps you on your shoulder.

You look back—

At yourself.

Other-you grins and charges into the black amassed monsters; starts chopping away at their ranks. You almost sob in gratitude.

But you know that this other-you would not appreciate that. You know yourself, and you grit your teeth, charge in behind him.

It takes the both of you what feels like hours before the monsters are done and gone.

Other-you doesn’t say anything. He looks like a more ragged version of your present self. He just takes out his timetables and disappears.

Your shaky arms drop the stained sword in your hands. You collapse onto your knees, exhaustion taking over, making you drift off right there on the dirty platform. 


	38. Day 68

You wake to a blinking coming from your sunglasses.

Groaning and clutching your throbbing head, you check pesterchum. You weren’t even aware you were still logged on.

You open up a blinking chat window and it hits you like a ton of bricks.

Purple letters. You see blessedly purple letters in front of your eyes for the first time in about 20 days but who’s counting.

You have to blink a few times before the words stop swimming in front of your eyes.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --  
TT: I; m so rry   
TT: shti I am sppp soryr  
TT: I asm sorryr I am sucg a shit preson  
TT: I’’m sorr y I left uyo  
TT: Fuck.  
TG: are you drunk or just emotional  
TT: A bti of btho  
TT: gootta get m y liqwuid courage u p in me to condfess alla tehse things  
TG: rose are you hamming it up  
TT: May be a little  
TT: See okay nto hamning it up anymore  
TT: But I real ly am sorrty  
TT: Sprry  
TT: SHIT  
TT: Sorry/  
TT: I miss rtalking to you and I m going half crazy over here  
TG: same  
TG: now can we stop with the not talking to each other  
TG: we’re kinda like the last human beings  
TG: ever  
TG: and i  
TG: well i miss you  
TT: :0  
TT: ****:)  
TT: <3333  
TG: wow okay rose go drink some water and sleep it off  
TT: yure not the boss of me.  
\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] is now an idle chum! --

You sit up and assess the damage. You slept off your exhaustion and after that conversation, you feel giddy. You feel recharged. You feel…

Suddenly, you know exactly what you have to do. 

You take out your timetables and just feel them, the grooves and dents. You let them take you where you need to go. 

You end up back in front of the monsters but there’s another you there. You tap him on the shoulder. He looks terrified and just about ready to give up. You smile at him and jump into the fray. 

When all is said and done, you go back to the exact millisecond you left. Like you were there all along.  


It’s your biggest accomplishment to date. You pat yourself on the back for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i missed writing these two interacting like a lot. i had to bring her back i mean cmon. theyre adorable.
> 
> also: [look at the stats on this bitch](https://twitter.com/firebend/status/377696196392779776)


	39. Day 69

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we did it kids. day 69.. amaizng

It has been a long day and you are about to lie down to rest on a hard platform, sweaty and aching, when another-you appears.

He stares at you; you stare at him. He says, “Visit Hephaestus.”

He is gone before you can protest.

You curse future-you. He is an asshole for wanting you to visit that asshole. You are an asshole for listening to future-asshole-you. Assholes all around.

You’ll go after you sleep, you decide, and then choke down a whimper. You miss your bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys i'm curious. how did you get here? did someone rec the fic to you or did you just stumble upon it? i'm legitimately curious, please leave me a comment tell me how you got here! alternatively, [my ask is also open](http://trazodone.tumblr.com/ask)!


	40. Day 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally forgot this fic was a thing until yesterday im so sorry but rly who even reads this anymore

You hear someone calling your name. It’s faint and melodic. It really is quite lovely to hear such a soft voice after days in hell.

You drift on a veil of sleep, listening to the soft sounds of your name. It’s a nice dream, as far as dreams go.

Then suddenly, it’s not.

Someone is shaking you violently. The calm voice that called your name is now screaming at you.

You wake up startled and dizzy. You’re on a bed but don’t remember falling asleep here.

Everything around you is purple. Your pajamas are purple. The bed is purple. The eyes staring at you are— oh. When did she get here?

She huffs. “ _Finally._ ”

You have a stale taste in your mouth. “… Rose?”

“No, I am the ghost of psychiatrists past, Dave. Tell me about your abandonment issues.”

“Is this a dream?”

“No.” She sits on the bed, shoulders slumped. “I have been trying to wake you up for a month now. Wait, has it been a month? I lost track so long ago.”

“Where are we?”

“This is Derse. Our dreamworld.”

“No shit.”

She nods. “No shit.”

 

* * *

 

She takes you to the top of a tower once you realize you can float like she can.

“But what is even the purpose of this place?”

She shrugs. “Not really sure but Jaspersprite told me that it had to do with getting an extra life? That or he’s dipping into the catnip again.”

You hum in acknowledgement.

A few moments pass before you break the silence again. “This is pretty chill.”

She nods, looking at the horizon. “For the most part, yeah. But not when we have a view of the Furthest Ring.”

“That sounds scary.”

“Oh, it’s terrifying.” She says, matter-of-factly.

“… Great.”

She gives you that almost-smile and you realize just how much you missed her.

“Mm, look over there.” She gestures to the distant light. “That’s your planet, and my planet… and John’s.”

John’s looks like an oil spill in the middle of space, a stark contrast to Rose’s.

“And Jade’s?” You ask.

“Far as I know, nothing of hers made it into the game.”

You swallow thickly.

“Right.”

 

* * *

 

You are there for what feels like hours. She hugs you when you tell her what future-you told you, and hurries you off back into your other world.

It’s a shame to go, you think, but at least now you understand what you have to do.

You fall asleep on a soft bed and wake up on a warm platform, cursing all the way.

It’ll take you about a day to hike to Hephaestus’ den. You really hope your water supply will last you the journey. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if youre reading this i love you bc you love this


	41. Day 73

You get there panting and shaking. The water hadn’t lasted what you thought it would have and now you are severely dehydrated. Your vision is blurry and you just hope to whatever deity is listening that you make it through this.

As luck would have it, you finally, _finally_ stumble into Hephaestus’ den. He looks at you like the vermin you probably are.

“Well?” His booming voice rattles your head.

You take a few seconds to collect your scattered thoughts. You try to swallow but your mouth is as dry as the heat.

“I…” You begin weakly. “You…”

He looks at you impatiently. “I don’t have all day.”

“I woke up… on Derse.”

His smile is cruel and it hurts to look at. “Ah. Finally. Now do you know what you’re meant to be doing?”

You don’t think you can speak anymore so you nod and avoid looking up at him.

“I DIDN’T HEAR YOU!”

So you shout out a hoarse “Yes!” and it leaves your throat feeling raw. You’re on the verge of passing out, you swear.

“Good,” you hear him say. “That’s good.”

He snaps his fingers and you’re back on your bed, your blessedly soft bed, your blessedly scorching room. You are on the cusp of just knocking out when you hear the most terrifying sound you have ever heard.

“HAA HAA HEE HEE HOO HOO!”

You scream.


	42. Day 74

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pffft ha it's been more than a month wow. good news though we're getting to the good stuff i promise gimme like 35 more days and less than that amount of chapters.

You wake up. You fell asleep somewhere between the screaming and now your head is throbbing incessantly. It takes you ten minutes flat just to get into the bathroom and throw yourself into the shower, raggedy clothes and all.

Calsprite is around but he’s restrained himself to whispered chortles. You think maybe he got the message in between your screams of terror and anguish.

In the shower, you sit in cold water for an hour, alternating between lazy washing (after throwing your sopping clothes into the trash) and gulping down water. Your head throbs a little less when you get out but you still take it slow.

You collapse back on your bed.


	43. Day 76

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2x updoot combob

You wake up and it feels like something has died in your mouth. Your head throbs faintly to the beat of the passing seconds.

You’ve been out for roughly two days. Give or take an hour.

So maybe you woke up on Derse again, or maybe you didn’t. You can’t really remember anything past the now constant headache.

You’re pouring yourself a bowl of cereal when you start formulating a plan. It’ll take a lot of hard work and planning, you realize, but you’ll figure it out. You always do.

Now. You need a jet pack.


	44. Day 78

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is hatched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAH i missed this fic's birthday happy one year of this dumb story u fat nasty trash
> 
> if you've stuck with me all this time i seriously, SERIOUSLY want to hug u. like hug ur screen rn. bc im hugging mine. feel my warmth.

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] --  
TG: so  
TG: i think the most logical course of action at this time would be for me to go to johns planet  
TT: You lost me at logical.  
TT: You're going to have to draw me a map of this thought process.   
TG: hang on a sec  
TG: [okay heres the map](http://i.imgur.com/7z3N458.png?1?7876)  
TT: Oh, everything is cleared up now! No need for further explanation!  
TT: (Please explain further.)  
TG: ok well  
TG: i kind if need to go through my first gate  
TG: and my second  
TG: to learn more about the game  
TG: yknow like we agreed to  
TG: and after my second gate i think thats johns planet   
TG: so thats completely logical  
TT: Completely.  
TT: But last I recall, your first gate is a hundred feet from your roof.   
TT: So is growing wings part of your logical plan?   
TG: it might be  
TG: where theres a will theres a grace  
TG: wait shit im pretty sure wills gay  
TG: so where theres a will theres a... gay?  
TT: Sometimes I wonder how your brain works.   
TT: May I look into it?  
TG: again i refer you to [this](http://i.imgur.com/7z3N458.png?1?7876)  
TT: Fascinating.  
TT: Really though: Wings.  
TT: How are you getting up there?  
TG: idk  
TG: guess im just  
TT: Please, god, no.  
TG:................  
TG:......  
TG:......................  
TT: I regret everything.  
TG:....................................  
TG:.................  
TG: ..........  
TG: .............................................   
TG: winging it  
TG: 8^y  
tentacleTherapist [TT] blocked turntechGodhead [TG]  



	45. Day 81

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For once, Calsprite is actually useful. Shocking, I know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have up to chapter 55 drafted 
> 
> hope ur ready for this jelly (might update every week)

The idea had come to you as a joke at first. A foolhardy message sent to Rose ( TG: why dont i ride calsprite into the first gate like a fucking majestic steed his annoying laughter paving my way into the heavens to which she had replied  TT: Actually... and it had gone downhill from there).

So here you are, grabbing onto Calsprite's orange waist, laughter roaring in your ear and hoping not to meet your demise by a face-full of lava. To be fair, he's actually a very speedy ride. Of course, it had taken you a full day to track him down and explain what you wanted him to do in a painfully patient tone. He had just stared at you with those dead doll eyes that, to be quite honest, you had suspected for a while now, were not all that dead.

You guess you'll never know, with him.

You enter your first gate in a rush of heat, sweat brimming on your hairline. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust. Then you notice the sheer amount of imps and basilisks awaiting you on the ground and _shit_ this isn't going to be easy, is it.

You blink and then there you are, a future-you giving you a two fingered salute in a dingy white suit before tromping into battle. You really, really appreciate yourself right now, the lifesaver. 

Calsprite lowers you down to the platform after you scream at him a few times. You react as quickly as possible, drawing out Caledscratch and chopping away at the imps and ogres. It still takes the both of you almost two hours of strifing before you're free to collapse on the platform and sleep. You don't see future-you disappear before you pass out. 


	46. Day 82

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> realized this chapter didnt warrant a week's wait so here. next chapter in a week.

You wake up with a headache.

It takes you three water bottles before you're back to your usual self. You are still bone tired but you have responsibilities to attend to.

Taking out your timetables, you yawn. You disappear and reappear in a crowd of sharp-toothed enemies. You give past-you who has appeared on the wings of an annoying puppet-bird a two-fingered salute before hacking into the imps that are just now noticing your existence.

Two hours later, you're back in your own timeline and you collapse again, dead to the world.


	47. Day 85

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Land of Wind and Shade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooohhhh boy i've had this one in the wings for a while
> 
> this is one of the first i wrote and also one of my faves  
> pls enjoy

After three days of looking around your planet and slashing at imps in your way, you finally (if not undignifiedly) stumble through your second gate. 

You blink to find yourself on a path made of dark blue ground. There are trees and mushrooms surrounding the trail and they're bright blue and _glow_. There are tiny steps farther up the path, which snakes its way through a landscape that is mostly barren. You can see a brown rocky outcrop or two further along the way. A little river of black water moves to your left. It's sluggish and looks thick, so you're not surprised when you dip a finger in and figure out that it's actually oil. 

When you look up, you see nothing but clouds obscuring the sky. Only a few stars are visible. 

Still looking up, you turn around and lower your head slowly to inspect more around you. You're scanning the landscape when you spot something… extremely tall in the distance. It's hard to tell what it actually is, but you have a fairly good idea. You don't want to get your hopes up though, just in case.  

You begin walking towards it, stride easy and relaxed, keeping up the charade even though there's no one around to see you. It's quiet; way too quiet for this to be normal. On your planet you can barely hear yourself think, and, wow, it's so dark here. On LOHAC, it's never-ending day, too bright and hot, blinding, _searing_. 

The change is… unsettling. The only things you hear around you are the sound of the wind, your footsteps and the viscous churning of the black rivers. Well, that, and the slow grinding of your teeth.  

You're not used to such absence of noise. You lived in the goddamned city. You mixed beats so loud, Bro had to get the apartment soundproofed. You have a planet made up of endless machinery and swirling _lava_ , for fucks sake.  

You don't like the quiet: it makes you think too much. On LOHAC, you can ignore your problems blissfully and concentrate on the sounds of the landscape, but here, in the Land of Quiet and Even More Fucking Quiet there is no escaping your mind. 

The quickening beat of your heart sounds like it could shatter your eardrums. The ticking hands of the clock inside your head make you feel like you’re drowning.

You feel like you’re choking on your being, on everything you are or thought you ever were.

You walk faster. 

It gets worse as the time goes by. The grinding of your teeth is making your head throb and just when you think you can’t make it any farther, you see a blessedly blue gate at almost ground level; you know a return node when you see one. Exhausted and exasperated, you approach it. When your foot so much as comes within an inch of it, you are swallowed up by the portal and you stumble into the other side.  

Suddenly, you are in John Egbert's house.  

Fuck. 

It's so— normal. Well, save for a few dark smears here and there that you suspect were made by the imps. Apart from damage wreaked by underlings, it's so sterile and unexpected. 

You take a few steps on shaking legs. The house is _too quiet, too quiet, too quiet_. 

You spot a picture frame wherein a seven year old John smiles up at you and he's missing his two front teeth, holding up a participation ribbon for god knows what elementary school event. You turn your head away almost as soon as you spot it.

You brace yourself and call out a tentative "Hello?" 

No answer. 

"Hello?" You call a bit louder. 

No answer still. Of course not. What were you expecting, for John to come bounding down the stairs, all dorky bucktooth smiles and welcome you in, hug you, ruffle your hair and introduce you to Papa Egbert and then you'd all live happily ever after? Fuck. 

You heave a sigh and start making your way up the stairs. The carpeted interior mutes the sounds of your footsteps but your heartbeat hammering in your chest makes up for the lack of sound.  

You grind your teeth some more, bite at your lips. Your thoughts are dancing between _John, John, John_ and _oh my god why am I here what am I doing I shouldn't be here shit shit shit what if I find him whatifhes—_ and that thought stops you short. You actually freeze, looking down at your feet. 

"What if he's what?" You wonder aloud, yet whispered. "What, dead?" You give a humorless chuckle that comes out as a pathetic little wheeze.  

Then you shake your still-throbbing head; take the rest of the stairs two at a time and one, two, three, you're in front of a bedroom door. Shaking hands, certainly not _your_ hands, reach out, turn the handle and— 

You open your eyes (when did you close them?) and take in John's wrecked bedroom. The broken glass from the window, the oil stains the imps have left, the cracked computer monitor, again the work of imps. But John's shitty movie posters… the ones surrounding his bed… they're written on. And not like tiny scribbles and doodles, but actual drawings of harlequins with evil faces, depictions of jesters with sharp teeth.  

The thing that really hits you though, are a few arrows pointing down to the bed, labeling the boy who once slept there as a "LAME KID" and "FOOL." 

It makes you ache a bit.  

You look around his room seeing more messy things all around, and you notice with a shock that all of his posters have been defiled.  

You look into his closet and see all his clothes still there and clean, ready to be worn. You look over at his computer (which still runs) and notice a few chat windows open. There are some messages from Rose asking if he's close by, where he is, etc. But— most of the messages are from you.  

You leave his computer alone and go to sit on the bed, feeling numb.  

"He's dead." You finally tell yourself. "He's dead!"  

The laugh you give is sort of a manic, breathy chuckle. You collapse onto the bed and stare at the ceiling, counting the cracks in it.  

You should not have come here. This hasn't solved anything. It was stupid of you to think that you'd come here and everything would be peachy keen, and he'd be alive and well, come out saying "Ha ha, oh I got you so bad Dave, you should've seen your face! Best prank ever!" 

You just miss him is all.  

You curl up into yourself, clutching his sheets up to your chest and propping his pillow under your head.  

You fall asleep surrounded by his scent. 

You wake up on Derse but you just clench your eyes shut and try so hard not to _think_. It makes it easier to pretend that you can dream again.

You think you feel Rose's hands in your hair. You don't know. It's all a bit too much.


	48. Day 86

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've realized this entire story can be renamed as "Headaches and Sleeping: The Dave Strider Story"

You wake up with a wrinkled suit and a stale taste in your mouth. Your glasses are askew and you have to take them off, try (and fail) to fix your hair, and then put them back on. A glance around the room, _John's_ room, confirms that everything is exactly the same as it was when you went to sleep. Only now, you have the beginnings of a headache blossoming in the back of your head.

You give an experimental whiff at your suit, the one you’ve been wearing for about five days now. It smells how you would think a five-day old three piece suit on a teenager would smell like.

You heave a sigh and sit up as you unbutton and take off the suit jacket. You move to undo the white tie and unbutton your shirt collar. Playing adult was fun while it lasted.

You make your way to the bathroom and when you get there, you are struck by the fact that neither the toilet nor the tub work. Someone royally fucked this up.

Speaking of someone.

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --  
TT: What are you doing there?  
TT: When you told me you were going to John's planet I didn’t think you meant straight into John’s house.  
TG: wtf how do you even know  
TT: Has it completely slipped your mind that I can see every inch of John’s house?   
TT: Nice undies, btw.   
TG: well its easy for it to slip my mind when you dont tell me about it  
TG: dont be such a voyeur i dont deserve this  
TG: i feel like a goddamn moulin rouge dancer  
TG: want me to swing around while champagne bursts all around me for your entertainment oo la la  
TT: Only if I get to stuff an obscene amount of money into your lacy panties.   
TG: this getting too graphic for me  
TG: now what the hell did you do to this bathroom  
TT: It was an accident.   
TT: Actually, I’m not even sure I can fix it.   
TT: Sorry.   
TG: fan fucking tastic  
TG: whatever im using it anyway  
TG: look away before my blushing virginal body is exposed and no man wants me anymore  
TT: ‘Virginal,’ that’s a good one.   
TG: stfu  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] --  


* * *

  


Long story short, you make a mess of the bathroom.


	49. Day 87

Rose promises not to peek on you anymore but it’s not like there isn’t a part of you she hasn’t seen yet.

You dress in John’s clothes which are clean, compared to your sweaty messes and cheap suits. The flowery smell of softener assaults your lungs and makes you nostalgic for something you’ve never had. There’s also an underlying scent that you’ve smelled before, in your dreams, in your sleep. 

You’re so surrounded by John that you find it unsettling when he is nowhere near you.


	50. Day 89

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy valentines day and happy 50th chapter
> 
> you are all my valentines now no backing out
> 
> (sorry it's so sad i kno its supposed 2 be a love day)

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] --  
TG: so  
TG: whats up  
TG: thats cool  
TG: yeah im good  
TG: just lying on your bed  
TG: funny right  
TG: oh wait hang on

There's a noise coming from John's computer every time you message him. It's kind of unsettling; more of an echo of his absence than anything. It reminds you that he's never going to see these. You swallow thickly.

TG: yo my man  
TG: gotta go message you later  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist[EB] --  


\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] --  
TG: hey harley  
TG: hows it hangin  
TG: bet youre havin tons of fun over there  
TG: shit i bet its like a carnival right  
TG: you and john are having the time of your lives right  
TG: well deaths  
TG: me?  
TG: oh im fine  
TG: peachy really  
TG: actually im lying on johns bed right now  
TG: weird right  
TG: actually not that weird if you think about it  
TG: i just miss him yknow  
TG: and you i miss you  
TG: i miss you both and i hate  
TG: i absolutely HATE that i couldnt save you  
TG: but i will  
TG: i WILL save you  
TG: and it will probably be the last thing i do  
TG: but just you wait  
TG: rose and i will get a plan in action  
TG: and well save you  
TG: i promise you this jade  
TG: ill bring you back  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] --  
  



	51. Day 90

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boring chapter ahead
> 
> this contributes absolutely nothing to the plot

You rifle through the cupboards in John’s kitchen and find more cake mix than you ever thought it was possible for a human to own. Apart from the hoards of Betty Crocker merchandise, you actually find food that you can eat without much fuss. In this case, popcorn.

You put the popcorn in the microwave and press all the right buttons, then lean your back on the counter. You drum your fingers against your leg impatiently and look around you. Suddenly your leg cannot stop bouncing. You’re loathe to admit it but John’s house makes you kind of… uncomfortable.

You sigh restlessly, decide the popcorn is taking way too long (it’s only two minutes though, what the hell), and venture out into the living room.

You spot a rack of DVDs next to the old, clunky television and suddenly, you just want to know what John saw in those really bad movies, anyway. Maybe his dinosaur of a TV prevented him from seeing just how ugly Nic Cage’s mug actually is.

You sigh heavily as you browse through the movies. Wow, John has _really_ bad taste in movies. Old movies, to boot. You didn’t even know half of these were digitized.

You pick one out at seemingly random (you could care less) and pop it into the DVD player, then turn on the TV and set it up to the correct settings. The smell of popcorn wafts into the room and you’re drawn by it, stomach growling slightly.

The movie begins its run through of commercials before menu as you take out the popcorn, open it, and burn yourself on the hot air it releases. You put your burned finger into your mouth as you begin on another rampage through cabinets on the hunt for a bowl to dump the popcorn in. When such a bowl is located, you finish opening the bag completely and succeed in not burning yourself again.

You walk into the living room and see the Armageddon menu run through its playback. You scoff inwardly and sit down on the couch, feet resting comfortably on the table. The DVD remote is wedged between the couch cushions so you dig it out and press play.

Immediately, you’re regretting your decision the moment you see Michael Bay’s name pop up. Seriously, why do they keep giving this guy money to make movies? A meteor crashes into the Earth as you shovel popcorn into your mouth. Bruce Willis’ name pops up and you die a little more inside. The movie’s title is an explosion, and you ponder Michael Bay’s borderline fetishtic love for explosions.

You pop another popcorn in your mouth and settle in for the next hour and a half.

 

* * *

 

You fall asleep not even halfway through, popcorn bowl clattering to the floor and spilling a few unpopped kernels. 


	52. Day 91

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a big HUGE thank you to [caro](http://unit-00.tumblr.com) for the art she provided for this chapter. she is dearly beloved, probably by someone else.

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] --  
TG: hah looking back through those messages i sent  
TG: i realized how sad they were  
TG: so today i bring you  
TG: [this](http://i.imgur.com/OzBZVzr.jpg?1)  
TG: shit jade theyre so friendly  
TG: and all they do is blow bubbles  
TG: with their MOUTHS  
TG: shit man down too cute to handle  
TG: they are known assassins their cuteness kills im sure of it  
TG: pretty sure soviet russia hired them during the cold war to assassinate some unwanteds  
TG: "howd he die sir"  
TG: "cuteness overload im afraid"  
TG: close up on non-specified white male  
TG: "curse you yellow bubble-fiends and your killer looks"  
TG: fade to black  
TG: shit i might have something here  
TG: aw one of thems rubbing up against my hand i think it wants to be pet  
TG: okay officially dead from cute rip me  
TG: they actually kinda remind me of you  
TG: all wide eyed wonder  
TG: dont tell john i said this but they remind me of him too  
TG: from what ive seen which is mostly just blurry selfies yall sent me  
TG: wide eyes and dorky happiness  
TG: shit  
TG: think john told me about one of them called casey??  
TG: well im pretty sure i just met her  
TG: and probably accidentally married her  
TG: lizard customs i tell ya  
TG: speaking of i think theyre making me dinner ill tell you how it goes  
TG: ttyl  
\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] --  



	53. Day 94

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --  
  
TT: Dave.  
TT: I know I said I wouldn't be peeking on you anymore but you haven't been answering my messages.  
TT: So this is just a warning message.  
TT: I am going to open the view to John's house in five minutes.  
TT: If you do not want me to do that, speak up now.  
TT: ...  
TT: Two minutes.  
TT: Okay opening the window.  
TT: Oh for heaven's sake, Dave.  


You find yourself on John's bed, lethargically wishing for the blinking in your sunglasses to stop. You ripped them off your face a while ago and laid them on the sidetable, but they just won't stop _blinking_. 

You remember crashing down onto John's bed but that was two days ago. You've been drifting in and out of dozing for a while now. Your body feels heavy and your mind is cloudy. You have a vague feeling of dread pressing down on your chest. You haven't really known this feeling before but if you had to name it, it would probably be "depression." All you know is that you're sad.

TT: Get up, you bum.  
TT: I'm doing this for your own good.  


Something comes flying at you. You hear the distinct _whoosh_ before it hits you square on the chest. You huff and blink rapidly to clear your cloudy eyes— Just in time to sluggishly dodge one of John's shoes sailing towards your head at an alarming speed. It hits the bed with a dull thud and bounces off. You lift a weak arm and raise your middle finger in the direction of the roof. She'll see.

TT: Oh, that's mature.  
TT: Insult the person who's trying to help you.  


Another object comes flying at you, this time softer, and you recognize it to be one of John's dirty shirts from the pile of laundry you'd been meaning to do for a while. It lands on your head, half covering your eyes. You sigh and leave it where it is; close your eyes and try to doze off again. You haven't really been inclined to full-out sleep these days because you just wake up feeling more tired and with purple still imprinted in your consciousness— seems like tiredness has seeped into your bones and makes your disinclined to move very much. You realize this could be the newfound depression. You should probably talk to her about it.

Maybe later.

TT: Whatever.  
TT: I tried heartily and no one can tell me otherwise.  
TT: Sleep well.  
TT: I'll see you soon, hopefully.  
TT: And then we will definitely talk.  
TT: Also, I hope you feel better.  
\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --  


The blinking _finally_ stops, and you go back to dozing. You drift off a few times but never enough to wake back up on Derse. You're not... _avoiding_ her, per se. You just need time to yourself and your self pity. 


	54. Day 96

By the week-and-a-half mark, you've had enough of the ghosting presence of your best friend.

You pack up your now-properly laundered tuxes and if there are some articles of clothing that once belonged to John snuck in there, well, that's just something you're not really going to acknowledge at this moment. 

For some reason, there are a lot more imps and basilisks and ogres around than when you first got here, but you've dealt with more. No big deal. A few swipes and you're done, earning you a sweet new rung on your echeladder. You're pretty sure you're almost done with that thing, too. At least this timeline was good for _something_. 

When you phase back to your planet, the heat is almost unbearable. You'll make do, but for now, you stay in your t-shirt and ~~John's~~ shorts. 

The walk back to your apartment is short and you almost burn your hands on the beams that hold it up twice, but you're in such good shape that you're barely out of breath by the time you get back up. Your lids are drooping something fierce, though. 

When you get back into your room, you grimace involuntarily. You drop everything, making an even bigger mess, and lie down, preparing to sleep and face her again, excuses poised on your tongue. Then, _of fucking course, _Calsprite appears, and yeah, fuck this. You flip him off and his laughter triplicates, if even possible.__

The noise-cancelling headphones you slip on are a reprieve. There are messages blinking on your computer and behind your shades, so you take them off and close all chat windows. 

You can still see Calsprite vibrating with laughter to your right, so you turn the music up. The blinking from your shades stops at some point. Calsprite leaves. You don't know how much time you lose but it's enough for you to fall asleep at your computer desk.


	55. Day 97

The purple is back. So is your headache. 

She's not here yet but you can feel her presence in the room. The bed is made, and the room is cleaner than when you left it. You are on your computer chair, and you wonder how you got here. 

You take off your headphones (again, _how?_ ) and make your way out the window. Her tower is a little ways off, enough for you to admire the purple landscape for a while. The towers are almost facing the Furthest Ring, so that will be fun. 

Her room is covered in green ink. She sleeps in the messy bed, her hair a wild tangle of almost white. 

You sit on the edge of bed and brush her hair from her eyes. She looks less troubled here than in the real world. Less tired, more pensive, less brooding. Happier. Peaceful. 

You're not really sure how long you stare at her but you're pretty sure it's enough to be creepy. Whatever, she's probably done the same to you. 

When her eyes blink open, it's like a shock, rather than waking. She raises a delicate eyebrow. 

"Are you done ignoring me now?" 

You sigh, defeated. 

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." 

* * *

“How d’you think dying feels like?” She asks you after the talking and the kisses and the self pity; her body thrown haphazardly on her messy sheets.

You shrug. You've thought about it more than you'd care to admit these days. 

“I’d like to think it feels like floating.”

She hums in acknowledgement.

Your clammy hand finds hers. She squeezes hard enough to burn; reminds you of your planet.

You drift back into your waking self after a while. It's not the first time you're reluctant to go.


	56. Day 98

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's still a bit of polishing to do with later chapters but it looks like the fic is set to have around 65 chapters, give or take. 
> 
> enjoy it while it lasts kids

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --  
TT: I think you should make your way over to LOLAR soon.  
TT: We have plans to discuss.  
TT: You don't have to answer right now, but I'll need your RSVP soon.  
TT: The VIP room is filling up quickly.  
TT: Message me back when you're not skipping stones on lava and wondering why life is so cruel.  
\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --


	57. Day 100

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we did it kids
> 
> triple digit days
> 
> we're in the home stretch here

You're not entirely sure on how you got roped into this again.

You sit on a chair in Rose's kitchen while she snips away at the too-long hair that covers your ears. The crunch of your hair is too-close, too-loud. The kitchen is lit with just the light over the stove and the faint rays filtering through the window blinds. It's not an ideal situation, but you trust her. 

Her steady hands smooth down the hair on the back of your neck. You'll later deny the goosebumps she raised. For now, you sit up straight and avoid flinching when the cold metal brushes your skin.

* * *

 

There's already a plan in place. You know this. 

You've talked about this more than you should. You're not stupid: you know what you have to do. She knows it's what you've agreed on.  (You also know that the plan ruse was [a........... distaction](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/sweetbroandhellajeff/?cid=007.jpg) [this is what [the refrance](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/sweetbroandhellajeff/?cid=038.jpg)], but neither of you acknowledge just how transparent this ruse really is.)

You lie in her bed and pretend not to know what the future holds for you both. Her fingers are cold on the skin underneath your shirt. 


	58. Day 101

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAD THIS WRITTEN AND IT WAS SO GOOD but it got erased somehow and now it's just a shadow of its former self 
> 
> w/e

You're in the kitchen when she wakes up.

She comes in with a sheet around her shoulders that drowns her small figure. Her hair is mussed and the bags under her eyes are almost-black in the almost-light. You sit up from your perch on the counter and grip your coffee mug tighter. 

Her voice is crusty but no sarcasm is lost in it when she says, "Dave Strider, up and dressed before 10 AM. I thought I'd never live to see the day." 

You rehearsed this a thousand times in your head since you woke up two hours ago but it still doesn't sound right when it leaves your mouth. 

"I'm gonna head out. Y'know. Get ahead in the game. You should, too." 

Her movements slow as she opens the cabinet to get her mug, like she's mulling it over. 

She is silent until her coffee is ready and in hand, two creams and one sugar, steam rolling off the surface. She leans on the counter opposite of you. 

Her sips are contemplative and it grates on your nerves. 

"Do you have a plan?" She finally says. "If not, we should--" 

"I was thinking about just going through the rest of my gates. Gotta know what we're dealing with." 

She nods, her eyes narrowed. 

"Very well. Think I'll do the same." She dumps her half-finished coffee into the sink and averts your gaze. "Shall I show you out?" 

If you didn't know her so well, you'd be a little offended at her dismissal.

When you're at the return node, she doesn't look at you in the eyes.

"See you tonight." You tell her. 

She flicks her eyes at your face then back to the horizon. 

"Farewell." 

She leaves you to your own devices and you resist the urge to chase after her. 

Tonight, then.


	59. Day 103

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we are again
> 
> sorry, Real Life caught up with me.
> 
> summer means more chapters! get hyped! we're almost done kids!

\-- tentacleTherapist [TT] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] --

TT: It seems I've met my denizen.  
TG: wait hadnt you met them already  
TT: Not so much met as eavesdropped on her once.  
TT: Remember? That was the day you paraded around calling yourself Knight to anyone who would listen.  
TT: Unfortunately, the only one who could listen was me.  
TG: like you didnt see it coming seer  
TT: Sadly, I didn't.  
TT: If I had, you can bet the prize horse I would have never informed you of your title.  
TG: youre no fun  
TT: Indeed.   
TT: Anyway, like I was saying.  
TT: She met with me.  
TT: Did you know she has no arms?  
TT: And apparently, I looked, and I quote, "Tasty."  
TG: she sounds nice  
TT: Oh, her rows of pointed teeth were a very welcoming sight.  
TT: She admitted to eating all the fish on my planet.  
TT: And she confirmed that this session is null.  
TT: It was always supposed to be null, even if we had our Witch and Heir.  
TT: Then she tried to eat me.  
TT: Go figure.  
TG: man whyd you get the helpfully hungry denizen  
TG: all i get is "here have a bunch of hungry imps up your ass eat shit and die xoxo"  
TT: Aw, he gave you hugs and kisses.  
TG: shut the fuck up lalonde  
TG: i do not need your shit right now  
TT: Whoops.  
TT: Rough day?  
TG: right now im dealing with ten imps three nakodiles and a calsprite  
TG: you tell me  
TT: I do not envy your situation is all I'm saying.  
TG: brb going through third gate  
TT: Already?  


\-- turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist[TT] --

TT: Oh. 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] --

TG: yes already  
TG: time hoppings a bitch but it helps  
TG: also its kind of awesome to fistbunp yourself after beating an ogre and reaping the spoils  
TT: I'll take your word for it. 


	60. Day 104

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few notes!! 
> 
> as u may have noticed, the final count for chapters is IN! this fic is set to have 65 chapters WITH an epilogue. ALL CHAPTERS ARE DONEEEE. it makes me happy.
> 
> since the few chapters we have left are just kinda meh i will be posting two today and two next friday. then back to one. another. and the epilogue. that gives us aboutttt 5 more weeks of this. 
> 
> enjoy it while it lasts and im really excited for y'all to read the endingggg
> 
> happy friday the 13th!

She tells you as much as she knows, which is not as much as you'd both like. Neither of you are masters at the game but you both know enough to keep the past versions of yourselves alive for long enough. Neither of you mention the plan, though.

Your fourth gate is within reach but you're so tired that you just need to lay down for a while. Your muscles and endurance have grown but it came with a price: a weariness has snuck into your bones and won't let go.

You thank your foresight for making your bring earplugs, now that Calsprite is a constant in your quest. Fucker won't ever. Stop. Laughing.

You wake up on Derse and really miss the days when you could rest your consciousness, rather than just shifting it. 

You try to sit up but body is stiff and she is nowhere to be found.


	61. Day 105

You wake up in a daze, a future-you rousing you and holding back a hoard of basilisks at the same time. 

Even though that will be you pretty soon, you still admire his skill. Your skill. Whatever.

"Go talk to Hephaestus," he says. "He's got a few words with you. Otherwise he wouldn't have sent his minions by the assload."

You agree, then help future-you get rid of the basilisks. When he disappears, you groan and gesture at Calsprite, who giggles. 

"C'mon then. Got a murderous fiend on my tail and another as my ally."

Calsprite laugh duplicates.

If you get out of this with your sanity, you really do deserve a well-earned rest.

* * *

He smiles at you when he sees you. 

"Why are you doing this?" He asks, voice relaxed. Easygoing.

"Doing what, going through my gates? Playing the game?"

"Yes, it's a pointless endeavor. Why do it?"

"Because we're curious."

He smiles like he knows your bluff.

"It's all in vain. Even if you do make it past your fifth gate, you'll never survive to see the next one. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, well, what makes you so sure, huh? You psychic now?"

"I just have very good intuition."

"Yeah, well, screw your intuition."

You leave in a hurry, but you don't miss his rumbling laughter.


	62. Day 106

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since it's summer and i have no idea what day it is, almost every single day i get a spike of "OH SHIT. IS IT FRIDAY. DID I FORGET TO POST THE THING." good for you i did not forget to post the thing. enjoy.

Your fourth gate is quiet. It is too quiet, quiet, _quiet_. It's so unsettling: you find yourself jumping at every lava bubble that pops close to you.

Hephaestus' words shouldn't have scared you that much but they did. Maybe it was his tone, maybe it was the fact that he's a godlike being in the center of a planet. It's a Venn diagram of a situation: both characteristics of Hephaestus' warning have you _kinda sorta_ quaking in your plush red pants.

You beat an imp here and there. You send Calsprite off: you don't need your nerves even more frazzled than they already are.

You walk for a while until you see a yellow structure in the distance. As you get closer, you notice [just how massive it is](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101018100234/mspaintadventures/images/a/a1/LOHAC2.png). It would be intimidating if there wasn't a huge nakodile looming above the entryway.

Inside, there are  _so many nakodiles._ They are nakking so much. It hurts your ears.

Even with your earplugs, the naks bore into your brain.

They crowd around little houses they seem to have built. There are shacks with actual construction done on them and it makes you really curious how they could do that without arms. You realize they are probably better at life than you.

Everything is yellow and shiny and it makes your eyes hurt. The place is huge, and you really don't want to explore all of it.

You figure you'll just try and find a place away from the noise to camp for the night. 

* * *

 

You do find a place, way off from what you guess to be the main hall of the structure. There are bookshelves lining the walls and the room is decorated in a black, yellow, and red color scheme. There are symbols on the walls you don't quite understand. The books are dusty and aged; they make you sneeze when you take one out and open it. 

The particular one you've chosen is apparently a compendium of comics written only in naks. You'd be confused if you weren't so amazed.

Another book you pick up is a collection of news articles, again written completely in naks. The next one is just weird symbols comprised of nakodiles, and circles and ten other things you can't really place.

By the sixth book and umpteenth sneeze, you finally find something in English, thank fuck.

It tells the lore of this planet and the origin of its inhabitants. You shrug and settle down on a dusty table in the middle of the room.

Needless to say, you're asleep by the second sentence on nakodile anatomy.


	63. Day 107

You wake yourself up with a sneeze.

There's a book under your head and it's covered in drool.

You take a moment to collect yourself. You're still in the dusty library, but now you have incredibly bad allergies. 

A few dozen sneezes later and you've collected your things. 

Well, that was uninformative. You learned barely anything other than _red crocodiles have two legs and an elongated snout._

You shoot a quick message to Rose, informing her of your unsuccessful library trip and make your way back down to the platforms.

You're still a bit on edge about your fifth gate but you're trying not to think about it too much. A quick whistle to Calsprite and you're off. 

Your fifth gate is... not as exciting as you had first imagined. With what Hephaestus had said, you would've guessed there was something more to it than... more platforms. 

Calsprite laughs ominously above you. Or normally. It's hard to decipher his laughs. You try and send him away once he puts you on a platform but he won't budge. He just stare at you with dead eyes and continues laughing. 

And he.  
Won't.  
Stop. 

He laughs as you beat imps. Laughs as you climb your echeladder. Laughs as you walk through platforms. 

It is an unending stream of laughter, and you're pretty sure this is what insanity feels like. 

You feel like ripping your hair out. You feel like throwing yourself into lava. You feel like ripping out your own auditory system and ingesting it. 

It is the worst day of your life. 

Sleep doesn't seem possible, but after you manage to run from him for a few minutes, it comes easy.


	64. Day 109

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The core pesterchum text is taken [directly from the comic.](http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=003543) I do not own it. I did, however, make some slight changes to it.

There are probably bags under your eyes as dark as the sky. 

You've barely slept this entire time: a mix of Calsprite's nightmarish laughter and your nerves involving your sixth gate impede it. 

You can't think straight-- you're inundated by laughter and basilisks, imps, ogres, giclops. Everything is crowding together and you feel like you're going to explode. 

Around hour 40 of no sleep and no reprieve, you message Rose. You really, really cannot do this anymore. 

\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT]--   
  
TG: thats it i cant take it anymore   
TG: it was such a huge mistake prototyping seppucrow with this useless mindnumbing jackass   
TG: im going back   


You have no idea what brought this on but you really cannot stand it anymore. You just want to not be here anymore. 

TT: Already?   
TG: what do you mean already shit took 4 goddamn months   
TG: or something   
TG: i dont know im kind of losing track of how long its been with all this time hopping   
TT: It just sounds like you're making a rash decision based on temporary aggravation with a laughing puppet.   


_You have no idea what it's like._

TT: I thought we planned to progress as far as we could before you went back.   
TT: To gather information, and avoid repeating mistakes.   
TG: what else is there to know   
TG: we lost   
TG: cant finish the game with a dead heir and witch   
TG: only thing left to do is change everything  
TT: Are you sure you're ready?   
TT: You'll remember the plan we discussed?   
TG: theres not much to remember   
TG: i go back and tell john not to be an idiot and get trolled like such a gullible stooge   
TG: i dont know what he was thinking   
TG: even when i go back i dont think ill ever understand  
TT: It still seems hasty to me.   
TT: Maybe I'm just not as comfortable with time travel as you.   
TG: nah itll be fine dont worry   


You grit your teeth and Calsprite's laughter sounds harder. 

TT: After you go, what do you think will happen to me?   
TT: Will I just cease to exist?   


Your throat dries up. You really hadn't thought of this. 

TG: i dont know   


You're so selfish. 

TG: i mean your whole timeline will   


You're just leaving her here. 

TG: maybe   
TT: Maybe?   
TT: Is there a chance it'll continue to exist, and I'll just be here alone forever?   
TT: I'm not sure which outcome is more unsettling.   


You never wanted this for her. 

TG: the thing with time travel is   
TG: you cant overthink it   
TG: just roll with it and see what happens   
TG: and above all try not to do anything dumb  


 _Like I'm doing right now_

TT: What do you think I should do?   
TG: try going to sleep   
TG: our dream selves kind of operate outside the normal time continuum i think   
TG: so if part of you from this timelines going to persist thats probably the way to make it happen   
TT: Ok.   
TG: and hey you might even be able to help your past dream self wake up sooner without all that fuss you went through   
TT: I think the true purpose of this game is to see how many qualifiers we can get to precede the word "self" and still understand what we're talking about.   
TG: the true purpose is to make a sprite that doesnt make me want to flog myself raw with my own brain stem   
TG: anything else is gravy   
TT: When my past self wakes up I'll pay you a visit.   
TT: I'll fly by and remind you you're already awake and don't know it.   
TG: yeah thatd be cool i guess   
TG: im gonna go now   
TT: Good luck.

You tuck the rest of your goodbyes in the graveyard under your tongue and take out your timetables. You never even actually thought this day would come. But you can’t take it anymore. You’re scared that you’ll actually do something to harm yourself (or worse, harm Rose) if you stay here much longer. 

Your hands are shaking as you feel the grooves of the timetables underneath your fingertips. Then you let them take you where you need to go. 

A flash of light—


	65. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is p much the moment we've all been waiting for. lots of clickthroughs to the comic so it laces in with canon. its a jam packed chapter with a whole bunch of twists and turns lemme tell you. if you need a breather, i wont judge you.
> 
> but hold all applause until the end, please.
> 
> er i should...  
>  **TRIGGER WARNING: character death, graphic blood mention,** ~~some divergence from canon.~~

When you get back to the alpha timeline, you meet yourself. You don't say hi, though. All you do is tell him, in the most serious voice you can muster, "Tell John to not be a dumbass and get off that rocket or else he’ll die."   
  
Past-you acts accordingly and taps out a quick message on his iPhone. There's a moment of silence of him talking to John before asks out loud, “He’s wondering how gullible we think he is.”

“I’m not going to grace that with a proper answer. Just tell him that he’s gullible enough to trust a leetspeaking troll who wants him dead and strap on a rocket pack ‘cause she said to.”  
  
Past-you taps it out. He sighs and turns the phone towards you so you see how ridiculous John’s being. On screen, you see blue text, the blue text you haven't seen for _months_ and it's accusing both of your selves of pranking him.  
  
You message him, angered by his ignorance.  


\-- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB]-- 

  
TG: john stop being a tool and unbuckle yourself from that piece of shit  
TG: if our friendship means anything youll listen to me and past dave **  
TG: this is future dave by the way** **  
EB: hahaha!** **  
EB: wow, you're really pulling out all the stops for this stunt!**

[**CONTINUED HERE**](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=003549)  
  
You captchalogue your timetables, take off your white suit and expel all of your captchalogue cards, keeping your strife specibus intact although you're not even sure you need it where you're going.   
  
You jump into the kernelsprite, a mantra of _please let this work, please let this work_ in your head.   
  
The first thing you notice is how _bright_ it is. It’s like jumping into an exploding star. Then you feel yourself stretching out; you lose your legs in favor of a long tail and wings sprout from your back. A sword is stuck through your chest, jutting out, exposed, and it doesn't even hurt.   
  
Then you look down at your hands. They're… _orange_. Not creamsicle orange though, they’re a dark orange, tinged with black; dirty. But most importantly, they're _claws_. Scaly, with long, pointed nails, so much like a bird. Then it hits you that _you actually are half bird_.  
  
You have to ball your hands into fists so past-you doesn't notice them shaking.  
  
"Hey." He says, nonchalant as can be.   
  
"Sup," you answer, hating how heavy your voice sounds; how much weight that one word carries.   
  
This isn't your timeline, never will be, but it hasn't sunk in like that until now.   


* * *

 

According to Rose, your half-baked plan worked. Well, kind of. She tells you that she remembers some things from the alternate future. She’s kind enough not to go into detail about what, though.

You and Alpha-you get along pretty well. You’ve accepted your fate and now you have all this knowledge about the game coursing through your head. It’s pretty neat, all things considering.

You don’t really care about telling Alpha-you anything he needs to know, but, since you are him, you understand where he’s coming from when he just shrugs off your help.

 

* * *

 

You’re off doing your thing when Alpha-you [calls you back to him](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004737). He asks you to take care of him while he’s put to sleep.

You oblige, and tell him that afterwards, you’re freeing yourself.

You have a Bro to track down.

Alpha-you drops asleep just as the ogres are getting there. With an [ironic war screech](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004740), you charge.

 

* * *

 

You find Bro on John’s planet. It’s a pretty easy place to navigate, given that you’ve already been here before. Well, it’d be more accurate to say _lived_ here but you’d rather not think about that now.

Now, you unsheathe the sword that’s lodged inside your chest and plunge down to where Bro battles it out with the winged-and-tentacled assfuck of an arch agent. Man, you really dislike this guy.

It’s a pretty even, easy battle. After a while, you and Bro are winning, almost on the verge of dealing the death blow. Bro’s just gotta distract him for a few more seconds and you’re just so close to slicing Noir’s head off when—

Noir starts _glowing_. He glows green for a few seconds, and you’re blinded by the light—

And when it fades, Noir is now part dog and he is ten times quicker than before. You and Bro struggle to keep up.

Noir is relentless. You see Bro struggling to keep up, sword flashing, blocking Noir’s advances. You block blow after blow, and you don’t have time get a jab in but—

He does.

He slices off a few feathers, stuns you with the back of his blade, and stabs you in the stomach. You gush orange blood. The shock numbs the pain for now.

Bro gives a grunt of effort and manages to get a blow in. It barely grazes Jack’s tentacle. Noir growls and turns his attention to him. Quick as lightning, Bro has one, two, three gashes on his arms, and he blocked the blade as best he could. You try to get another jab in, aiming for Noir’s head but you’re too slow, _too slow_ and you get a wing half sliced off for your troubles.

Pain sears through your body as Noir stands over you, ready to deliver the death blow. You are pathetically laying on the ground, stomach gushing blood, and wing hanging on by a bone. Orange feathers litter the battlefield. You take a deep breath and look up just in time to watch Bro flash step towards you. And he steps

right in front of you.

Noir growls once and moves too fast to even be possible, he snatches Bro’s blade out of his hands and then—

Then there’s red spreading all over the back of Bro’s shirt. He drops down to one knee and spits right at Noir’s feet.

Noir growls and it sounds so much like laughter that you hate him so much you just want him to die. You want to end him right here, right now. But you’re almost dead yourself, and you watch as Noir looms over you both and Bro supports himself with a closed fist on the ground, sword sticking out of his chest, red all over his shirt. Noir kicks him over like a rag doll and drives the sword into the ground. Bro coughs as Noir laughs again.

Noir seems to have lost interest in the almost-dead. He flies off and leaves the wounded to their fates.

There’s so much _blood_ , it’s _everywhere_ ; you think you’re going to be sick. You crawl miserably to where Bro is laying, his breaths coming short and ragged.

 “Dave…” he murmurs as you get close. You nod feverishly and put a hand on his chest. He coughs once. “Kick his ass for me, would you?”

And you nod helplessly, hoping for a miracle. But it doesn’t come. Your miracles ran out the moment you jumped into this sprite. Bro just coughs multiple times, heaving, choking on his own blood and you wish there was something—anything you could do.

But you are at death’s door too, stomach open and bleeding, wing unusable, unsalvageable.

“Bro…” You whisper, and he smirks like a goddamned asshole.

And then he just.

Stops moving.

You choke on a sob.

\--

You don’t know how long you stay there but it’s long enough that the blood on your hands crusts over and your tears stop flowing. You kiss Bro’s forehead and clench your teeth.

You never were any good with farewells.

 

* * *

   
  
You meet Jade (or rather, Jadesprite) for the first time on the battlefield. She's bawling her eyes out and, really, this is not at all what you were expecting.  
  
Knowing her, she'd be running to hug the shit out of you right now. But she just stays where she is, sobbing.   
  
You move in a little closer and see if she notices your presence. She does, of course, her newly acquired dog ears flicking towards the sounds you are making. The small, involuntary bird noises you utter, as a cause of being wounded.  
  
"Dave?" She asks, squinting at you through tears.  
  
"Hey," you reply, and your voice catches just the slightest bit.   
  
She doesn't run (or float, you guess) to hug you, but you almost do. 

 

* * *

 

[You talk to Jade. She seems sad.  ](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/scratch.php?s=6&p=005826)

[You explain everything you know about the sword you’re holding. She helps you get it to alpha-Dave.](http://www.mspaintadventures.com/scratch.php?s=6&p=005844)

You keep talking.

 

* * *

 

Jadesprite sniffles again. “So… yeah.”

She looks bashful and embarrassed, happier now than before. Her cheeks are a bright green that’s almost the same color as her text and you really, _really_ have no idea what to say.

She looks at you expectantly.

How the hell are you even supposed to respond to an shy and adorable ‘I… I like you, Dave’?

How are you supposed to explain to her that you have never even really met her until today and have not talked to her in _months_?

You have really got to sort some shit out. But, damn. Jade _likes_ you. You smile a bit at that. The tiniest crack in your façade. A sliver of emotion. And it’s enough for Jade, apparently; judging by the million dollar smile she gives you.

It’s a big, goofy grin: happy and carefree and just so _dorky_.

You have to stop yourself from grimacing.

The chink in your armor heals over: your small smile fades and so does hers, all at once. From a million watt light bulb to a starless night. And just like that, you hate yourself all over again.

And you want to apologize and hug her until you bleed out or the meteors take you but right then, the ground underneath you shakes and the battlefield opens up, molten rock coursing through the cracks. You look up and so does she, and oh wow, you are definitely not going to live to tell this story.

A meteor three times both your sizes combined is looming down from the sky to you, and you look over at Jade, who in turn looks at you.

The look she gives you is pure fear and sadness, all in one. You’re sure you are giving her the same look. And your heart wrenches at the sight. You inhale sharply and try and calm yourself, ready your mind for oblivion –

– When Jade starts _glowing_ bright white, and she lifts up into the air. The light blinds you for a second, but then it clears and you can see her. 

She’s –

She is a goddess.

With dog ears.

In a flash, she shrinks the meteor down to handheld size, smiles at you brightly, and glides her way gracefully over to an abandoned Prospitan battleship. With her new spacey witch powers, she lifts the ship into the air and flies onto it, leaving you in the dust.

You suddenly feel confused, sad and angry all at once.

But then you look up and see her face getting bigger and bigger and, oh god, are you shrinking? Is she _shrinking the entire battlefield_?

Fuck. You need to get this girl some flowers or something. Maybe some nice perfume.

The meteor shower stops but the battlefield is already irreparably scarred. That makes two of you.

 

* * *

 

You glide around the battlefield, not really knowing what to do now that you’re the size of an ant and in a captchalogue card. It makes you feel kind of insignificant, to be honest; but you would never admit that out loud. Ever.

Suddenly, you feel a rush of air, a bright light and you hear a voice you have never heard before but could recognize anywhere.  
  
"Oh fuck, it's Davesprite! I forgot about him!"   
  
You inhale sharply.

"Yeah, no shit," you mutter, feeling a calm tide wash over you and closing your eyes to just drinking in his existence. He's _alive_. That's what you came here to do, to make sure he survived, and you succeeded. This is all you ever hoped for. 

They’re here, they're real, they're breathing, and this, _this_ is why you came back. For _them._

You're not really sure how you got here, but then you're sandwiched between Jade and John, and their dorky smiles make your eyes water. They feel warm and alive all around you. A surprised laugh bubbles out of your chest. The laugh turns hysterical and giddy, tears restricting your vision. 

They laugh along with you, even though you have no idea why. 

This is the happiest you've felt in your entire existence. 

They don't know what you've given up to get them here, where they're gods. Where they can never die again. Right now, they don't know just how much pain they've caused.

But you let it slide, for now. Just for the simple fact that they're immortal, and so are you, and you will never say goodbye again as long as you exist. It hasn't sunk in yet but you're longing for when it does.

All you see is a dark green sky, blurred by tears. All you hear is laughter and joy, the commotion of all the different creatures around you. All you feel is radiating heat from the frantic beating of your heart; from the warmth of them. It threatens to eat you up in the flames. You're reminded of the ball of light you entered to get here, the pain. The knowledge. 

Your knowledge tells you that this trip is not over, not for a while. With a shock, you realize that in this instant, you do not care. You don't care that this isn't endgame and you don't care that maybe you won't survive to even _see_ endgame. Right now is the moment to savor the burning press of two big lugs slotted against you. 

With them by your side, this is enough endgame for you. 

The laughter keeps sounding.


	66. Epilogue: Days 87-1095, and Beyond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the author does not know what the word 'epilogue' means and ends up tying loose ends in one chapter by cramming a gazillion days into 2,000 words or less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was supposed to follow canon to the letter by way of tracing John, Jade and Davesprite's journey through the yellow yard and beyond, but, given that it ended before Homestuck (now there's a sentence I thought I'd never type), there's nothing to go on but speculation, hope, and three years worth of tears.
> 
> (Meaning I mostly just went with happiest and most emotional end I could muster.)
> 
>  
> 
> Lemme just--
> 
>   **TRIGGER WARNING: suicide mention, suicidal tendencies, depressed state, prescription drug abuse (more of a detailed mention)**  
>     
> It sounds way grimmer than it is, trust me.

Day 87

Jade calls you Dave, just Dave, for the first time since she met you, and your heart thumps a bit harder at that. John’s still careful about what he calls you though, because, as far as he knows, you're not the Dave he knows, the Dave he _needs._

You're too sad and battle worn, dealt a heavy burden back in your alternate timeline. You lost both of them, didn't hear from them for what you assume to be four months.

You grimly realize that you've been cautious too. You're still half expecting to wake up to Calsprite's vicious laughter in a sea of basilisks while Hephaestus grins at you. 

It's a terrifying notion but on the bright side, you can now sleep. 

You realized three days in that if you concentrate hard enough, you can honest to goodness sleep for hours on end. You can never remember your dreams, but just as well. Sprites aren't supposed to rest anyway. 

You guess karma owes you big time, though. 

*****

Day 137

You and John have been tiptoeing around each other. You, blatantly flirting with him; he, mostly ignoring yet sometimes acknowledging your advances. At one point, he actually says to you, “Hey why not, we’re both young.” Then proceeds to try and kiss you clumsily. He misses completely: gets your cheek and part of your nose. He pulls back, embarrassed, and you just face him completely.

The second try is better than the first. Your lips touch tentatively at first, but then plant themselves together properly.

When you first kiss John, it lights a fire deep down within you and with each press of lips, the fire grows and threatens to burn you up from the inside out.

When you press your ear to his chest, you hear the steady thump of his heartbeat — the reaffirmation that, yes, he is alive and well — and you swear, you could write a million songs to this beat.

*****

Day 198

You and John break it off (it being a few goofy dates and lots of making out) when you and Jade start getting a little too close for comfort. He nudges your arm and winks at you, encouraging your infatuation for his ecto-sister.

You think the eyebrow waggle was a bit much but you'll take it all the same.

*****

Day 1095

You and Jade break up. You’re pretty sure it was all on you but you’re also too busy ignoring her to actually ask her opinion.

You guess it all started when you realized you can't sleep anymore. 

The ship breaks through another pane of glass and hallelujah, you’re in a new session.

It’s different here. The land you’re on is mostly green with a few red structures dotting the landscape here and there.

Jade pops off as soon as you crash through.

John, being the dumbass he has always been, is asleep on a couch.

You sigh and crack your knuckles out of habit. You guess it’s time to go. There’s really no reason for you to stay here anymore. You guess you’ll just go off to help some denizen by throwing yourself at their mercy.

Although, you learned quite a while ago that you can't die so easily. It takes some pounding and grinding to end you.

Pills don't do it, although they hurt like a bitch. You don't bleed like humans do so that's out. And technically, you don't even need oxygen so you're hopeless as ever.

It's been a rough three years.

*****

Day ???? 

You've been fighting for as long as you can remember. 

[He's](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120311165935/mspaintadventures/images/8/82/Lord_English_and_Ms_Paint.gif) just so _strong_. 

*****

Day 0

You're not really sure where you are.

One moment, you're surrounded by trolls and humans alike, everyone battle weary and ready to restore each species; the next, you're standing, not floating, _standing_ in a meadow surrounded by poppies and dandelions, everyone an arms length apart from each other (makes a circle).

You're a bit scared and apprehensive. You see alpha-you standing across from you, and with a shock you realize you are mirroring his actions.

Your hands are still oil-stained-creamsicle-orange.

Some around you collapse sobbing. You'd have never pegged Kanaya for a crier but here she is, three trolls away from you, bawling her eyes out. Karkat tries to comfort her but he's no good at that; starts bawling too, and collapses on top of her. Their god-cloaks _glow_

Someone beside you mumbles a feverish "It's over. It's— It's finally over."

The stars are out on your new planet.

You look back up: back into the mirror, and feel yourself wasting away.

There's truly no reason for your existence now. The game is over, and your timeline is forgotten.

There is only room for gods now.

Mirror-you grimaces a little as your hands peel away, like burning paper. You feel a small part of your consciousness trickling into mirror-you's mind. Now he knows you.

You give those who are looking a weak smile and take a deep breath. The incredibly clean air burns your lungs.

Before anything, John and Jade break ranks and run to you. John reaches you first and you bury yourself into his neck, too afraid you'll leave pieces of your skin on his shirt.

"I'm sorry," he whispers into your hair. "I'm sorry, you are Dave. You are. You are the real Dave."

Jade barrels into the both of you and all the air gets sucked out of your lungs as you hit the ground hard. The dirt is hard packed and lovely on your back. There are hands underneath your shirt, and you feel them peel off more of your burning paper-skin.

It doesn't hurt, for now.

They kiss you wherever they can, and it makes you hyperaware that it this is not a private moment, regardless of the cover the poppies provide. You feel yourself slipping.

"The stars," you finally croak out.

They look up with you. Then they look at each other.

"The stars—" Jade says, desperate.

You feel John nodding furiously, only half aware of your surroundings.

Jade sits up and starts moving her hands in a gesture that seems almost clumsy.

As you fade away from their warmth, you hope vaguely that at least a third of the strength of your feelings for them survives in mirror-you.

You approach the stars.

* * *

 

The troll teacher points to the sky as they teach constellations to trollborns and humanborns alike. "That is the Knight constellation." They trace the shape vaguely with their index finger. "It is said that he helped the gods create this world, but upon their arrival onto the surface, he wasted away. Legend says that he was so loved by the gods that they decided to honor him in their heavens, to preserve his memory. Once a year, on every third of December, the gods bow to him. That is how great and powerful he was."

A child raises its hand. "Is that why we have the Amber and Fire celebration?"

The teacher nods. "Yes. Every year, like thousands of generations past, we celebrate the creation of this world and we pray to the Knight for guidance and support. He helped the gods with many things, and the gods listened to him intently."

Another student, this one a teenager, asks, "Did you also mention that the great Knight was also kind of a jerk?"

The girl next to him stifles a laugh.

The troll teacher looks less than amused.

"And you are?"

"John," the teenager grins.

"John, I really doubt the Knight was, as you say, a jerk. He was wise, loved, and commanding."

"If by commanding you mean bossy."

The girl next to him socks his arm lightly.

The troll teacher rolls their eyes and goes back to their lesson.

An arm slings itself around John's shoulder. "Yo."

"Dave!" Comes the girl's happy squeal.

"Hey there, Harley."

John turns his head and almost bumps the sunglasses off Dave's face.

"So," Dave starts. "What're we talking about?"

"Oh, nothing." John chirps. " Just some guy I used to know."

"Oh, yeah? Anyone I know?"

"I'd like to think so."

Dave raises an eyebrow, and John tries not to steal a kiss; fails.

"You guys want some dumplings?" Dave asks, smile growing. "I'm buying."

Jade's grin widens. "Yeah! Oh, I know great little troll place right off Royton street."

"Sweet. I'll ask Rose to meet us there."

"Where is she?" Jade looks around, half expecting her to pop up.

"Elsewhere. Probably messing up a continent's rain cycle." Dave shrugs. "Refused to come with me. Y'know how she hates poppies."

John hums and chances another look at the sky. He knows the shape of the constellation by heart. The lights blink back at him relentlessly, as if trying to impress the stargazers.

_Showoff,_ John thinks.

As they make their way out of the poppy field and into the city, he kicks off the wind for the hell of it.

Some petals stir up in the gale, and he sends them up, up, up and off.

The stars somehow blink brighter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> acknowledgements:
> 
> first off, a massive thank you to debby and gaby, who read this over and over, and indulged me many times over. this story would not exist if it werent for them. I am eternally in their debt.
> 
> to juanpi, who, although she isnt a homestuck, listened to my woes over never finishing this
> 
> to kazma, because the first thing i talked to her about were my woes over this fic. i then continued to whine about this fic through the months.
> 
> to my soul, for not shriveling up and dying during the writing process.
> 
> and finally and most importantly... YOU!! thank you to you. yes you. the one reading this. i'm so glad you're here! i'm so happy you're sharing this with me!! i love you!! i am serious this is so much appreciation for you. SOOOO MUUUCH. to everyone who gave me kudos, bookmarked, subscribed, commented, or even clicked on this fic. you guys are the reason. you stuck with me and never gave up. thank you. THANK YOU. i did this for you.
> 
> comments are appreciated and any questions can be directed to [my blog!](http://espurr.co.vu/ask)
> 
> i hope y'all stick around for my other projects! even though they will never be as epic as this fic. 
> 
> see y'all real soon.

**Author's Note:**

> <3


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